


in the Warmth of her Arms

by NotAWerewolf42



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Military, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Amputation, Amputee Athena, Anxiety Attacks, F/F, Hospitals, Physical Disability, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Slow Burn, nightingale syndrome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-02-23 09:29:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23742574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotAWerewolf42/pseuds/NotAWerewolf42
Summary: Athena Atlas. Sergeant, 509th battalion, 2nd rifle company. Honorably discharged after suffering injuries in combat resulting in amputation. She's lost in this world, dealing with the loss of a leg, and her career in the military, the only place she called a home. The only light in her life, a nurse, who helps her see the good things left in her life.Wasn't it inevitable that she fall?
Relationships: Athena/Janey Springs
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	in the Warmth of her Arms

Athena Atlas. Sergeant, 509th battalion, 2nd rifle company. An exceptional soldier, with annual reports commending her aptitude with the Colt C7. Despite her shorter stature, she regularly outperforms others in physical training exercises. Currently engaged in combat with unknown assailants.

It’s a scene she’s seen a hundred times before.

“Die you bastards!” She screams out, firing up the last known location of her foes to draw them out of cover. She knows that they probably don’t speak English, but she pays no mind to it.

“Medic!” she shouts for the thousandth time. She reasonably knows that her Field Medic, O’Bryan, is dead. He was trying to patch up her grenadier, Quincy when she saw the wall collapse. No one could have survived that.

She continues, eliminating everything that moves in front of her. Her commanding officer, Noxx, is dying just beside her. He was breathing when she last looked, but she hasn’t since she took up her firing position. She can’t afford to.

She fires off a shot that lands true, and the returning fire finally ceases. She doesn’t move, doesn’t breathe. She can’t take any risks.

“..thena…” Noxx barely manages.

She holds for a second, searching. There were 5 of them, but she only sees 4 bodies.

“...Sergeant…” he strains, finally forcing Athena to turn and face her.

“Lieutenant,” she says, setting her gun down to try and address his wounds. There’s too much blood, and she hasn’t got any first aid supplies. “I’ve eliminated the assailants.”

“‘s all fucking pointless,”

“Sir?”

Whatever Noxx’s response was to be, Athena doesn’t hear it. She watches in slow-motion, as a frag rolls in beside her. Time stops, watching the little chunk of metal, the internal mechanism clicking amplified in Athena’s ears, drowning out all other sounds. ‘This is it,’ she thinks. ‘Sorry Jess.’

She closes her eyes.

And opens them, shooting upright in her hospital bed, lungs desperately pulling in air. She’s hyperventilating, darting her head around to find that last enemy. But he’s not there. No one is. She’s alone, in a hospital bed. Just like the last two times she’s awoken like this. Her body is so incredibly tired, but every time she closes her eyes, the memory is right there.

It's been a few days.

They tell her she’s lucky to be alive. No one’s quite sure how she is. But she doesn’t get off scot-free.

Athena’s breathing calms somewhat as she looks down. Her body is covered by the thin sheet, but she’s already seen it. The place where her leg used to be. Whatever guardian angel saved her, it failed to stop shrapnel tearing up her left leg. They had to cut it off at mid-thigh.

Her elevated heart rate has apparently alerted the night nurse. Athena snaps her head at her approach. “Stay back!” she shouts. She’s scrambling for her missing gun.

The nurse stops in her tracks. Athena can’t see well, the edges of her vision darkening as she tries to focus, but she knows it's a woman, much taller than Athena. “I’m not here to hurt you.” Her tone is soft, comforting.

“Please, stay back!” Athena begs.

“Okay,” the nurse replies evenly, not stepping forward. “I want you to breathe with me.” She over exaggerates her breathing, inhaling, holding, and exhaling. “Alright?” she asks. Athena doesn’t reply, or even nod, but she follows the calm voice’s instructions none-the-less.

In.

Hold.

Out.

In.

Hold

Out.

“Good,” the nurse praises. “You’re doing really good.”

The adrenaline is leaving her system, and she is able to focus on the world around her once more: The beeping of her heart monitor, beating fast but slowing down; Sounds from outside, in the hall; and the woman in front of her.

She’s handsome. Really handsome.

“Can I come closer now?” she asks.

Athena doesn’t trust her words. She nods.

The nurse approaches slowly. “Do you know where ya are?”

Athena remembers. “Soldier’s Memorial Hospital.”

“Good. How’re ya feelin’?”

“Scared.” It’s not a feeling Athena has ever admitted to feeling before, even when she was young and her sister went missing. She’s always kept her emotions locked up to survive, so to readily admit her fear? To a stranger?

“D’ya wanna hug? ‘D that make ya feel a little bit less scared?” she offers, gently.

Athena doesn’t remember what she says, but she remembers the feeling of the woman’s arms around her. The difference in height puts Athena in an...awkward situation, but whether the nurse doesn’t notice or simply doesn’t care, Athena doesn’t know. She’s strong, and her hug is tight. She feels her tense muscles relax, as though the hug sucked all the tension and negative feelings out of her. She doesn’t even realize she’s hugging back until the nurse goes to pull away.

“I’m Janey Springs, yer nurse. Who’re you?”

“Athena.”

“Well, it’s nice to meetcha. How’re you feelin’ now?”

“...safer.” 

And it’s true.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! It’s been a while. I’ve had this idea in my WIPs for a while, but just never gotten into it. This is the first multi-chapter fic I’ve made where I actually have a plan for the approximate length, and the ideas for the main arc. So hopefully good things are coming.  
> -NotAWerewolf42, beta’d by nival_kenival


End file.
